This invention relates to product vending and relates particularly but not exclusively to product vending apparatus and parts therefor suitable for vending high cost products such as consumables for computer printers.
Hitherto, it has been known to provide vending apparatus for dispensing high cost product such as consumables in computer printing machines. Typical examples of prior systems are disclosed in our co-pending international patent applications nos. PCT/AU93/00416 (WO94/04446), and PCT/AU95/00154 (WO95/26004). The disclosures in those documents are herein incorporated by reference. PCT/AU93/00416 relates to a vending machine which facilitates recycling of complex articles, such as printer and toner cartridges. PCT/AU95/00154 discloses an electronic catalogue device and system for enabling remote ordering of goods/services.
With the ever-increasing models of printers on the market there is an increase in the number of products which are specific to particular printers. Each of these products is a relatively high unit cost product and it is desirable for a vending machine to stock as wide a range of product as possible. Hitherto, the vending mechanisms within such vending machines have limited the product range which can be stocked as the vending mechanisms have occupied a considerable space within the vending machine. Further, particular product which is to be dispensed such as reams of paper or other media on which printing is to be performed is relatively bulky and relatively heavy compared to, for example, printer cartridges, particularly inkjet printer cartridges. Thus, if a vending machine is to dispense heavy articles of this type, the known prior art dispensing mechanisms have been unsuitable as the vending mechanisms cannot handle the large relative weight of such articles.
The present invention attempts to address one or more of the afore-mentioned problems.
Therefore, in accordance with a preferred aspect of the present invention, there may be provided a dispensing mechanism for a vending machine for permitting generally flat faced product to be vended one at a time, said mechanism comprising an upright storage chute in which identical shaped and sized product can be stacked one on top of the other so the flat face of said generally flat faced product lies generally transversely of vertical, said storage chute being defined by a first generally upright extending wall and a spaced and opposed second generally upright extended wall, the spacing being sufficient to allow the product to move in a generally vertical path in said chute by gravity from the top to the bottom of the chute,
there being an inclined product discharge ramp extending downwardly across said chute towards a product discharge opening in said second wall,
there being a first tongue and a vertically lower spaced second tongue mounted to advance and retreat into said path through said second wall at the bottom of the stack, a lowermost product being supported in said chute by a support surface in said path opposite where said first tongue extends through said second wall and by said first tongue when said first tongue is advanced into said path through said second wall, the weight of all products being carried by said support surface and said first tongue,
there being movement means to permit said second tongue to retreat when said first tongue is advanced, and to permit said second tongue to be advanced when said first tongue is retreated, so said second tongue will catch a lowermost edge of the lowermost product as it falls past said first tongue when said first tongue is retreated and so said lowermost product will then be supported in said chute by said support surface and by said second tongue,
the vertical spacing of said first tongue and said second tongue being such that when the lowermost product is caught by the second tongue, the next highermost product in the stack will be positioned so that the first tongue can be advanced under that product so that that product and all products thereabove will be carried by said upper part of said inclined ramp and said first tongue, and so as said second tongue is retreated the product caught on said second tongue will fall by gravity onto said inclined ramp and pass through said discharge opening and be vended.
It is particularly preferred that said first tongue and said second tongue be mechanically interconnected for pivoting rocking movement for advancing and retreating and that the pivot axis be generally horizontal.
It is particularly preferred that solenoid means be connected to said first tongue and to said second tongue to effect advancing and retreating.
It is particularly preferred that said support surface be an upper part of said inclined ramp.
It is also particularly preferred that said inclined ramp have a step at the upper part so that product supported by said first tongue and said upper part be supported at an upper part of said step, and so product supported by said upper part and said second tongue be supported at a lower part of said step.
It is also particularly preferred that said storage chute be one of a plurality of chute modules, and that each module be positioned one above the other to form a multiple module height chute so that a plurality of different products can be stacked in said multiple height chute and vended therefrom by advancing or retreating the appropriate first and second tongues.
It is particularly preferred that said multiple height chute be a single chute with bays for each module and wherein the plurality of discharge openings be coverable by respective removable wall plates, that said plurality of first tongues and said second tongues be removable, and that said inclined ramps be removable, whereby a product vendor can choose to utilise the whole of the chute for one group of product in a range, or can utilise the chute for a plurality of different product groups in a range, thereby permitting multiple groups of products to be stacked in said chute and user selected for vending by operation of the corresponding first tongue and second tongue.
It is particularly preferred that said inclined ramp be of unitary construction but it may comprises two or more separate items. In this instance there may be a first item which defines the upper part of said ramp and a second or more items which define a lower part. In this way, the first item may extend from or adjacent said first wall and the second item may extend from or adjacent a lower part of said upper part of said ramp.
It is particularly preferred that said ramp be swingable about its upper region so that when loading fresh product into said chute, said ramp can be swung by its lowermost part swinging upwardly to a generally horizontal position thereby closing the chute at the bottom of the chute and inhibiting against mis-oriented product falling through the chute and being discharged from said product discharge opening.
According to a further broad aspect of the present invention there may be provided a vending machine having a plurality of chute modules, each module having an upright extending chute in which identical shaped and size product can be stacked one on top of the other, said storage chute being defined by a first generally upright extending wall and a spaced and opposed second generally upright extending wall, the spacing being sufficient to allow the product to move in a generally vertical path in said chute by gravity from the top to the bottom of the chute, there being an inclined product discharge ramp extending across the bottom of the chute extending downwardly from adjacent the first wall to the second wall, and a product discharge opening in said second wall, there being a product dispensing mechanism at the bottom of the chute above said ramp, said product dispensing mechanism permitting the lowermost product in said chute to be vended by moving onto said ramp and passing through said opening whilst retaining all product higher than said lowermost product within said chute for subsequent vending,
each module being positioned one above the other whereby to provide a multiple module height chute so that a plurality of different products can be stacked in said multiple height chute and vended therefrom by advancing or retreating the appropriate first and second tongues.
It is particularly preferred that said multiple height chute be a single chute with bays for each module and wherein the plurality of discharge openings be coverable by respective removable wall plates, said plurality of first tongues and said second tongues be removable, and that said inclined ramps be removable, whereby a product vendor can choose to utilise the whole of the chute for one group of product in a range, or can utilise a chute for a plurality of different product groups in a range, thereby permitting multiple groups of product to be stacked in said chute and user selected for vending by operation of the corresponding first tongue and second tongue.
It is particularly preferred that said ramp be swingable about its upper region so that when loading fresh product into said chute, said ramp can be swung from its lowermost part upwardly to a generally horizontal position thereby closing the chute at the bottom of the chute and inhibiting against mis-oriented product falling through the chute and being discharged from said product discharge opening.
According to a further broad aspect of the present invention there may be provided a vending machine for vending product, said machine having a processing means, a user operable product selecting means, a dispensing mechanism for releasing stored product one at a time so said stored product can be vended, a product sensing means for sensing product dispensed from said dispensing mechanism and a product removal sensor,
all being functionally interconnected and controlled by software so that as product is dispensed from said dispensing mechanism in response to user operation of said user operable product selecting means, said product will be sensed as being dispensed by said product sensing means and so that as product is removed from said vending machine after being dispensed from said dispensing means it will be sensed by said product removal sensor,
and said software will be invoked to permit acknowledgment of a vended product, and if said product removal sensor does not sense corresponding product removal following product dispensing sensing, then identifying either jammed product or user unretrieved product.
Preferably said product sensing means for sensing product dispensed comprises a physical sensor in the path of the product as it is dispensed.
In another embodiment said product sensing means may simply comprise providing a sensing signal in response to the user operable product selecting means being activated to dispense a product.
Preferably, said machine has a multiple product vending feature, where multiple product can be ordered to be vended by a single purchase transaction at said machine, and wherein if said product removal sensor is not activated, the order will be terminated without dispensing of subsequent product in that order.
Preferably, said machine has a credit card debit facility for charging for product dispensed, and wherein multiple product ordered to be vended by a single transaction is charged to said credit card, and wherein if said product removal sensor is not activated, the order will be terminated without dispensing of subsequent product in that order, and the credit card debit adjusted to reflect the cost of any product removed from said machine in that order.
According to a further broad aspect of the present invention there may be provided a dispensing mechanism for a vending machine for permitting generally flat faced product to be vended one at a time, said mechanism comprising a storage bin with a generally horizontally extending but inclined floor on which said generally flat faced product can be supported on an edge face so that flat face extends generally upright and wherein product can be stacked side-by-side,
and wherein the product can move in a generally horizontal path across said floor by gravity from an uppermost side of said floor to a lowermost side of said floor,
there being a tongue mounted to advance and retreat into said path through said floor at the lowermost side of said floor,
and a movable stop at the end of the floor at the lowermost side,
the spacing between said tongue and said stop being such that a single product can be supported on the floor in said space and prevented from falling by gravity from said floor by said stop, and wherein said tongue is advanceable into said path to prevent movement of the next product in said path, so that when product is to be vended said stop can be moved away from the end of the floor thereby allowing the product to fall by gravity and to be vended, and to permit product held in said path by said tongue, and so that after vending said stop can be returned to the end of the floor and the tongue retreated thereby allowing the next product to move into said space between said tongue and said stop whereupon said tongue can then be advanced between the next product and the succeeding product making the machine ready for future vending.
Most preferably said movable stop is an end wall of said storage bin.
Most preferably said end wall is pivoted near the top of said storage bin so it can swing from a position where it is at the end of said floor to a position away from said floor.
Most preferably there is a latch for holding said end wall at the position where it is at the end of said floor and wherein when said latch is released, the weight of product will cause said end wall to swing to said position away from said floor and to allow the product to fall by gravity off said floor, and wherein said latch can relatch said end wall as it return swings by gravity to the end of said floor.
Preferably, the end wall is mounted so it will return swing by gravity.